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| - Bridge - I2SD Predator The central command complex of the Imperial-II Star Destroyer stretches out in all directions. The gull grey deck plates blend perfectly with the light grey panelling and seem to focus ones attention on the glittering display screens of the numerous command stations littered across the bridge. Two sunken crew pits house the main operational control systems for the mammoth vessel which are constantly monitored by the department heads and their subordinates. The aft stations are recessed into alcoves where the officers can meet to converse without interupting the standard bridge routine. From the staggering array of view ports located to the fore, a wide command walkway divides the two crew pits and allows the officers unobstructed views of the crew at their stations. An unobtrusive, swiveling, black command chair rests on a slightly raised dais a few meters behind the aft termination point of the command walkway. The bridge of the Predator, unlike most of the other ship; is populated for the most part, by humans, aside from the guards, which match the rest of the droids on board; and look imposing enough as it is. Each member of the crew moves with something that exceeds Imperial precision, each clad in the same dark black uniform as their Captain; and still, no one wears any rank insignia or cylinders. People are moving and walking everywhere, between small meetings of officers, and datapads being exchanged, the only lone figure, is Dareus, for the moment, over by the viewport which looks out across the bow of the ship, until he turns and begins to head along towards the rear of the bridge to stop at one of the stations where tactical and other operations are being overseen by what someone can only guess is his XO. The blast doors that lead aft to the Command Deck Atrium open with a quiet sound to admit the one person on the ship not clad in unrelieved black from head to toe. Lynae pauses just inside the doors, her gaze sweeping over the bridge of the Predator for a long moment before she spots the ships Captain himself and starts in his direction. Moving quietly, her footfalls are nearly lost among the necessary sounds of the bridge crew hard at work, and she does nothing to get in their way as she passes along the walkway. Her hands are clasped behind her back, a posture so instinctive by now that she barely even registers the automatic stance she falls into, halting beside Dareus and studying the view offered at the moment. "Are we still near Cochran?" she asks in a clear quiet voice. Although he's busy at the station; he's not too busy that Lynae's arrival doesn't get his notice, and he's not surprised, since he left orders that she would be allowed to access the bridge with either himself or Lord Malign there. He smiles, still partially looking at the terminal for a few seconds before turning to her, "Oh absolutely. Mostly that is...." The sound of the turbolasers firing, is easy to hear, even though with the heavy insulation and deckplating of the ship, still, small muffles can be heard by their power when they activate, "Although we're in the asteroid belt right now for safety. Makes any snooping people have to work to find our Capital ships; and gives the others plenty of time to intercept and deal with anyone." Looking back at the screen he nods while pointing at it, "Launch Lightning Squadron to assist the patrols in those 2 grids, a few smugglers jumped in the other day; they're cleared to engage anyone that shows up." Stepping back he motions for Lynae to follow him, "And this is one of the more quiet days, ironically. I'd ask if you slept well; but you were probably laying awake for hours thinking." He chuckles a little, "I know I was, about a few things." A ghost of a smile drifts across Lynae's face, her demeanor and appearance lapsing back into that professional air that she shifts into while on Station, so to speak. "That's where you'd make an inaccurate guess," she says simply. "One of the first things that a med student learns in training is to fall asleep when the right opportunity arises. I know that I've fallen asleep sitting up before, with my eyes open. I also know that I fell asleep once, standing up, leaning against a wall while waiting for lab results. The ability to take cat naps and wake up at a moments notice and not be groggy or bleary eyed is a requirement for a doctor. Anyone who can't do that should find another profession, and fast, before they hurt someone," she explains. "However, I did stay up a bit longer to discuss a few things with Axel." Heading along the command walkway, Dareus nods while he listens to her, "Well, I'm assuming his sleep schedule is all weird now, after I heard about his miniature coma yesterday. Although that doesn't surprise me, we've all been busy for the last little while." He stops just short of the viewports, looking out while a squadron of black Interceptors streaks past, narrowly missing a few asteroids which are quickly vaporized by turbolaser fire, causing another smile from him, even though they're too close for normal peoples' comfort. "Damn things are wreaking havoc on the sensors, but at least they're not hitting us....the droid gunners are far better than humans. Instead of normal damage, we only suffer a small hit now and then...about every 12-17 hours, at most. Acceptable, considering the circumstances." Looking back towards Lynae he raises an eyebrow, "Have you decided how long you'll be staying with us? I don't want you to think you'll have to fly yourself out of here if you decide to go; we can move out of the belt to launch ships that aren't our fighter pilots." "As long as it takes to make my decision," Lynae answers with the only answer that she can at the moment, following along behind Dareus to the viewport to watch the black-painted Interceptors streak past. She winces slightly at the narrow miss and allows another smile to drift across her face, "I may not be the best pilot around, and I seem to have a history of crashing and or blowing up ships, but I would wager that if I took care and caution I would be able to navigate my way through. But I'll keep that in mind - and may well hold you to the offer - if need be." "I don't want my own pilots out there that much; it's not the ability to look ahead, but in this damn field, you have to watch 360 degrees at the same time; and sensors, just don't cut it that well...I still have to design some modifications I think; maybe I'll get to work on that when I'm off the bridge." Dareus leaves his hands idly by his side before he looks back towards Lynae, "Anything interesting with Axel? I've barely seen him for the last week or so, aside from meetings; ironic, we live half a kilometer apart and I see him less than I do Lord Malign." "He floated an interesting inquiry past me," Lynae says in response, her gaze remaining on the view as she speaks, "very interesting, actually. He asked what it would take to decimate the local flora and fauna of a planet without harming the inhabitants. In essence, to wipe out the crops and the food supply of a target planet but not kill the inhabitants, wage a war of hunger on one target and make a statement in a bold strike." Her voice is thoughtful, almost cold as she speaks, her brain clearly at work on the proposal while she speaks. "The real challenge to such a suggestion is not killing off the inhabitants or the actual agent mutating out of expected parameters. It's easy to kill off a few plants if you're standing in the garden. But eradicating on a large scale is trickier than most realize. But it's entirely feasible, just requires the necessary assets and a good lab to make it happen." Dareus shrugs, and nods slightly, "Axel's specialty is carnage on any scale; me...I have more subtle things to deal with; watching what's going on in other governments, who knows about us..how to deal with it." Laughing for a moment, he turns back towards the rear of the bridge, looking down along the sunken puts that hold other stations for the ships' functions; "That entire thought would be your specialty, not mine; I can build you or arrange for that lab; wouldn't be difficult at all, actually. You can ask me to plan 30 different ways to invade and secure a star system and I'll have it done in record time; but that....well; I studied different things. Depending on your decision; I might very well be able to arrange that for you." Turning to look at her, he smiles, "Pending approval of course, from Lord Malign." "I'm not sure what my specialty is, other than getting the job done, no matter what it is," Lynae says simply after another moment of quiet contemplation. "I know that you say that my value lies in my tactical skills, and I find that flattering, considering how little training and experience I had in it before the bridge crew of the Conqueror were killed en masse and I stepped up to the plate, so to speak. The irony is that combat, in all it's various forms, is much like fighting a disease. It's just a matter of scale and available assets, plan of attack, adaptation, etcetera. Wiping out a planets ability to not only produce food but to keep ANY local flora and fauna alive for even one season would be a scientific coup that would require, literally, years of paperwork afterwards to explain how it was done and why it didn't go south." Lynae's lips curve upwards briefly as a wry smile rests on her face, "It's sure one heck of a way to make a name for myself in the scientific community again." Dareus nods before he starts moving along the command walkway once again, "It's up to you, of course, mainly because the possibilities are nearly limitless for you. I have my own things that I need to be concerned about, depending on the future; but only time will give me those answers." His boots echo softly along the walkway, although not drawing any attention from the officers within the pits, "I wish that I could show you my master creation; but it's not near completion yet; and, well....it's still rather hazardous for human life to go near it right now; which is why the droids are working overtime on it; to at least get some proper life support equipment in place and other things. It's going to be one exciting addition to my resume." Lynae is silent, so silent in fact that if it weren't clear that she was right alongside Dareus it would be almost as though she's not in the room at all. Or on the ship. Can someone check her pulse? "Dareus, what is he building?" she asks softly, "I need to know." Dareus stops and turns to look at her, raising an eyebrow for a moment, "Lord Malign?" a simple smirk crosses his lips, before he starts to continue walking "A future. It's not my place to say, and I can't even put it as eloquent as he can...depending on the decision you make, you might know. I can't presume to tell you; this entire endeavor is something that goes beyond friendship or family. There's entirely too much at stake, not for this crew, or even myself; that's insignificant; but the future itself...rests on the ability for him to depend on each one of us." "Speaking of the future," Lynae says finally, "what about your children?" she asks in a careful voice. "I gather that you and Kiare are not going to make a go of this together. But what about your children? They are a part of the future, whether you are going to be a part of their future or not is not my question. But what about them?" "If they prove to be mine, then they'll join me here, where they belong." There's a certain tone that his voice gets, something dark and evidently, one that makes the words set in stone and non-negotiable. "This is something they're going to need to grow up in; I'm beyond the point where I'm going to let anyone tell me what I can do to live." Dareus seems to leave it alone now, going quiet for a moment, "I'm not cut out for marriage anyway." Lynae's usually stoic and bland expression is cast aside as her eyebrows lift in a look of flat out surprise, "What.. did I miss?" she asks in a quiet, albeit blunt, tone of voice. "I know, it's none of my business. But I'd planned to base some of your treatment on the potential genetic material of your. well.. of your potential offspring. If that isn't going to be a viable treatment plan or it's going to be a waste of time chasing that particular bantha, let me know now." "I'm not sure myself, it's something that can be dealt with in time to come; I had a bit of extra information from someone; which seemed to make sense. I've been used enough by women in the past." Turning back to look at Lynae he nods, "I wouldn't expect a whole lot out of any genetic abilities; as I told you before; I'm on borrowed time anyway; Malign seems to thing that something miraculous or whatnot may happen. Honestly, I'm fine with it. Once things start getting back, I'll relieve myself of command, and just retire somewhere." There's no longer any fear in his eyes with the prospect; but he's also not sympathy hunting; more like letting fate take it's course, and damned set on that path. There's something to be said about maintaining the air of professionalism at all costs. There's also something to be said about knowing the right time and the right place for setting it aside. "Borrowed time or no, Antoine, don't expect me to just set aside research and watch you die. Death may be our constant companion, but it doesn't get to win just because it's the last thing we do. So, we'll just have to see about these children, whether they're yours or not, and if they are, then they may be of assistance in my research. If not, then I'll find another way," and if she sounds stubborn it's simply because she's determined. "I won't keep you any longer though, I can see you have things that need doing. I'll return to quiet contemplation and the amenities afforded to me by the quarters you set aside for me." Dareus nods, "I'll be heading to sleep shortly anyway; I've been a little exhausted lately...my own doing, pulling double shifts; but still...I like having my hand in everything that goes on. It lets me keep control of things that normally might be missed by just reading a report." He smiles at Lynae, "Remeber, if you need anything, just let me know, the door's always open; my new quarters comes with a decent sized office too. I shoulda got a ship of my own this size years ago." A quick wink and his signature goes on another datapad that's handed to him by a junior officer, "I'll see you tomorrow; Lynae." Lynae nods to Dareus and says, "Just remember: If you work yourself into exhaustion , when the time comes for you to need to stay alert you may be to weary to do so," she warns in her best doctor-tone before heading back through the blastdoors into the command deck atrium and the ship beyond.
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